


1-800-DateEscape

by kittensuh



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Beginning of a beautiful relationship, Blind Date Escapes, Fluff, M/M, blind dates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-18 00:27:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29109327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittensuh/pseuds/kittensuh
Summary: The three times Johnny saves Doyoung from a blind date and the 1 time Doyoung returns the favor.
Relationships: Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Suh Youngho | Johnny
Comments: 3
Kudos: 99
Collections: Johnny Fic Fest: Round Two





	1-800-DateEscape

**Author's Note:**

> helloooo ! this is #js029 for the johnny fic fest ! i love johnny very much and i hope this piece is kinda funny and gives a little bit of a story into these two birthday boys! please enjoy :))

**1.**

Doyoung is not prepared in the slightest. He doesn’t know what came over him in the moment, quite frankly can’t even justify it, and now he’s dealing with the consequences.

“It’s going to be fun,” Kun had said, a big smile on his face. “Ten is so nice and he’s really artistic and talented and smart, he’s an awesome guy.”

Kun had smiled at him so large and overwhelming as if he was the one going on the date and Doyoung couldn’t say no. He didn’t have a valid reason to, anyway.

These days, he had been constantly locked in his room, trying his hardest to get through grad school and juggle a social life and work on top of all that. Kun had noticed - because Kun always notices and then proceeds to get involved - and then got involved, telling Doyoung that he could set him up on a blind date and it would be so fun and spontaneous.

Now Doyoung stands just outside the restaurant they’re supposed to meet at and all of the nerves eat away at him. He thinks he would rather be anywhere else but here. How is he supposed to hit it off with a stranger? What will they talk about? What will they eat? What will Ten choose to eat? Will they have anything in common?

He gets antsy and he gets antsy quick, constantly checking the hands on his watch if only to see the second hand tick tick tick slowly by.

When it hits 8, a rock settles in the pit of Doyoung’s stomach. The date was set up for 8 and Doyoung quite likes punctuality. Oh no.

Dread fills him rapidly, all of these positive and somewhat hopeful thoughts becoming nothing but concern and negative scorn. He knows this is not going to go well, can feel it within every bone of his body, and he whips his phone out fast, thumbs guiding him to the Safari engine fast.

_ blind date distration ideas _

The search engine brings him lists upon lists of articles from every which magazine telling him about what distractions to use, how to get friends in on it, how to make it more believable - but it’s not anything he’s looking for. He goes back to the main page and continues scrolling from page to page. He’s about to give it all up, just suck it up and take a bad date for what it is, when a little blue link catches his attention.

Date Escape, the title says, and then just underneath it; We make the distraction, you make the escape!

It’s friendly enough for Doyoung and he clicks into the link and then without thinking, presses the big phone flashing on screen.

The phone rings four times before someone picks up. “Thank you for calling Date Escape! This is Johnny, how can I help you?” His voice is perky and awfully excited and Doyoung’s lips turn up just a touch.

“Hi, I’m uh new to this. I’m just wondering how this works?” Doyoung asks cautiously. “Like do I set up an appointment or can I just get calls regularly or…?”

The man snickers on the other end. “No, nothing like that. If you feel there’s a moment where you need to escape, be it a date or not, we offer two options. 1. you can dial our number and we can create an in person or over the phone emergency escape on the dot or 2. you can tell us that you will be going on a date and we will call you at a predetermined time, leaving you to let us know whether you want to escape or not.” The man clicks and clacks and speaks eloquently, like he’s used this same script repeatedly.

Doyoung nods and then he considers it. He could just leave it at a call and call it a night if things don’t go well, but he doesn’t wanna be rude either. Maybe an in person distraction will be just enough to come off less rude. “Okay, so, I have a date tonight and I’m not sure how it’s gonna go. Can I set up a time for you to come in person just in case?”

Click clack. A chuckle. “Of course you can. Just let me know what time the date is and around what time you’d like us to come by to check in.” Doyoung follows the tone of his voice and he curses himself for getting into situations like this all the time.

He looks down to his watch. Five minutes past 8.

“The date started at 8. Can you come around like 9 or so? Can you make it a little less obvious?” There are a bunch of clicks and clacks and then a small hum of agreement.

“Of course. So we got an 8 o’clock date start time and a 9 date check in time. Does that sound correct?” Doyoung agrees softly. “Perfect! So keep your phone on you and at our appointed time, we’ll text you. If the date is going well, you can simply play it off, but if it’s not, just let us know, and we’ll make that physical escape happen.

“Just one last thing,” the man says, “what’s your name?” Doyoung looks up and notices someone coming towards him, a man dressed nicely and walking alone, and Doyoung knows he should probably hang up soon.

“Doyoung, Kim Doyoung,” he stammers.

More clicking. “Okay, Kim Doyoung,” the man repeats, a smile evident in his tone, “We’ll talk to you then.” The line drops and then Doyoung is face to face with this new man.

He looks gorgeous, all things considered. He’s a little shorter than Doyoung and wearing black pants with a thin white button down half tucked in on the left. It looks calm and casual and a little sophisticated all the same and Doyoung maybe wonders if he’ll even need the escape…

As it turns out, an escape can’t come quick enough.

It’s not even necessarily this guy - Ten’s - fault. It’s a lot of factors from the extra wait for a table to the placement of the table to the way Doyoung definitely didn’t dress well enough at all. And maybe a little bit that they have nothing in common.

It’s the way that Ten is a little snooty and Doyoung is a little snooty as well, both of them looking at each other and quietly looking at their actions, wondering why they do something in a certain way and looking at each other’s orders in question. Ten is a dance major who works at a dance academy and Doyoung is the least flexible person that has ever existed. When Doyoung tells Ten he’s a STEM major, Ten looks at him with an enthused quirk of his lips, something he’s seen time and time again. He expects the usual questions - What do you do? How do you like it? How can you handle all that? - but instead, Ten doesn’t ask a single question.

They each ask short questions from there, Ten asking Doyoung what school he went to and Doyoung asking a couple minutes later what Ten’s favorite animal is, in the most awkward fashion ever.

Doyoung’s phone lights up and he looks down at the notification coming in from an unknown number. He tries to sigh on his exhale lightly as he picks up the phone and unlocks it to read the message.

Doyoung- Are you still in need of Date Escape? Reply with YES or NO and we’ll do the rest. If YES, please give a short description of what you’re wearing.

Doyoung can’t stop his fingers from forming out a solid yes quicker than the speed of light and a few words about his outfit and then it’s a waiting game.

In a way, he feels kinda bad. He looks at Ten who looks at his own phone and pushes around his food for a second. He looks disinterested, more than Doyoung’s ever seen a person look. 101 questions run through his head, all centered around the thought that maybe it’s not anybody else. Maybe it’s always his fault. Maybe it’s Doyoung being Doyoung that pushes everyone away.

Just as Doyoung opens his mouth, someone rushes to their table dressed in a casual pair of jeans and a sweater. They’re taller than Doyoung has ever seen and the new presence captures both of the blind daters’ attention. “Doyoung! Thank god I found you! Yuna hasn’t stopped crying, I need you to come home, now!”

Doyoung seriously hopes it doesn’t show on his face that he has no idea what this person is talking about when he hurriedly stands. “Um, yeah, okay.” Doyoung stands from the table, getting his wallet out of his back pocket. “Sorry to cut this short. This should cover dinner, though,” Doyoung says as he puts down a couple bills. “It was nice to meet you.” He knows there’s so much more he could say, maybe even should say, but he doesn’t. Instead, he nods in Ten’s direction and follows the tall man out of the restaurant.

And then they walk. They walk side by side down the street a couple blocks without saying a single word to each other. Doyoung doesn’t know if he’s even supposed to be following the other man, but he seriously doubts the only thing he has to do is walk out on his date.

They walk a few more paces until they're in front of a public park and finally, the other man stops and turns to him. “Sorry to keep us walking forever, I just wanted to make sure we were a good bit away from the restaurant just in case,” the man says, and then he extends a hand, “My name is Johnny.”

Ten doesn’t contact Doyoung again.

**2.**

Doyoung does this. One bad date and he deletes all of his dating apps and swears by everything that he is meant to be single. He does whatever he wants for a couple weeks and doesn’t think about it for too long.

And then he meets up with his friends, with Jungwoo and Jaehyun or Taeil and Taeyong and he sees how happy these people are and he goes home and starts the process all over again, starting with a few apps and swipes just a couple weeks from his last date.

There’s lots of people online, lots of people Doyoung doesn’t connect with, but there is one that sticks out amongst the trivial conversations and the short flirts.

He met Min on an accidental swipe that turned into a match, the both of them a bit similar in every aspect. They’re the same age, studying the same things, on similar career paths - it’s perfect, really. The conversation is so light and easy in a way it’s never been for Doyoung and it’s one of his favorite things about talking to her.

One day, out of the blue, she messages him about meeting. Doyoung thinks it would be a good idea and he has no hesitation about it when he messages back in immediate agreement.

"You're overthinking this, Doie," Taeil tells him softly. His best friend sits on the couch and watches him try on outfit after outfit in the mirror and for him. "If you guys have been talking this long, then it must mean something. And if she wants to meet you, then it’s definitely a good sign.” Doyoung has to agree, truly, and he pushes down all his anxieties with his outfit.

He pulls out something simple and still professional and he shows it to Taeil to the immediate approval of his best friend. “This one is definitely it. You look amazing. She’s gonna love it.”

He shows up to the coffee shop ten minutes early and finds a seat close to the window. It's lunchtime and Doyoung is excited about this. The shop is bubbly, he's ready to eat, and there's nothing he hopes for more than that energy to keep through the date.

When Min shows up, only a minute early, she cautiously walks towards Doyoung. "Um, Doyoung, right?" she asks softly and Doyoung nods in greeting. He stands and says hello with a kind bow and then they both sit. "How are you? It's nice to meet you," Min says to him. Her smile is contagious and Doyoung can't hide the smile he sends back her way. They can order in a couple minutes, but Doyoung would sit there for hours just making small talk with her if it were up to him.

Every part of the date seems to be going well until, suddenly, she mentions her ex boyfriend. It's nothing major, just a small mention that Doyoung easily glides over and leaves at that.

Until she mentions him again. And then once more. And then a couple more times through the date.

It’s hell for Doyoung who doesn’t know how to kindly tell his prospective new relationship that they’re not over their last relationship. Even after ordering and sitting together for minutes of different conversations, Doyoung can’t help but think about the way he needs to get out. Fast.

“I’m gonna go to the bathroom real quick and I’ll be right back,” he excuses himself. As he walks to the bathroom, he pulls up the only unnamed number in his recent calls and waits on the rings. 

On the second ring, Doyoung gets through. “Thank you for calling Date Escape! This is Johnny, how can I help you?” 

“Hello, this is Doyoung. I don’t know if you remember me, but I, um, need to get out of another date.” 

“Alright, Doyoung, just like usual, let me know when the date starts and what time you want a check in.” 

Doyoung chuckles lowly. “Um, I am actually on a date right now. Can you still come out without the warning?” Doyoung hopes so badly that they can.

Luckily for him, “Of course we can. Just send us a text with your address and we’ll be right out!” They go through the last parts of the script and then Doyoung heads back to his date.

Unlucky for him, however, it takes a couple more minutes than Doyoung would’ve thought and he sits in the cafe waiting for conversation to change from ex-boyfriend, to more personal and enjoyable conversation that never comes. 

From the window, Doyoung can see Johnny’s familiar figure approaching much to his relief. When he comes in, Doyoung straightens up at attention. 

“-He was funny for the most part, but it just wasn’t working out, ya know? I thought he-”

“Hey, excuse me?” Johnny interjects at the table, “I need to talk to Doyoung, there's an emergency in the family." The conviction in Johnny's tone is almost believable and Doyoung finds even himself believing the news for a second. 

It works on Min who looks at both of them with big eyes. "Oh," she says in surprise, "yeah, um, don't worry, go worry about your family," she says truthfully. And Doyoung nods while he stands from his chair, ready to follow Johnny out. 

Much like last time, Johnny walks the two of them a couple blocks down before they slow to a casual stroll. "What happened this time, if you don't mind me asking?" 

"Classic case of not actually being over her ex. The whole date she was talking about him, I don't understand why!" Doyoung complains into the air. He likes walking with Johnny and being able to talk to him about these different things, especially as they head out of these failed dates to far off spots. "But it's okay. Thank you again so much for coming out." 

Johnny looks at him with a kind smile. "Yeah, of course! Any time you need, Doyoung." Doyoung finds that he believes Johnny's statement. 

**3.**

While Doyoung does tend to keep to his process, when he stumbles on Seungyoon’s Tinder, he’s more than taken from the start. He’s not necessarily his type, but he is fun to talk to and Doyoung quite likes it. He’s a lot like Min and he makes the first move, asking Doyoung if he wants to meet up with him somewhere. 

Doyoung is shocked, quite frankly, to find that the address Seungyoon wants them to meet at is a bar. From the conversations they’ve had, it always seemed like this wasn’t their scene mutually, but he’s working on getting better with his understanding and pre-judgements of the people he goes on dates with.

He walks in and shoots Seungyoon a text, letting him know that he’s here and asking him where he is. When the other man doesn’t respond, Doyoung looks around the bar to see if he finds anyone familiar. When he doesn’t, he shoots off another text, and heads up to the bar. “Just one whisky sour, please,” he asks of the bartender. He keeps checking his phone for a text update and when he never gets one, he continues to sit at the bar. 

When a half and hour passes without even a single text, all Doyoung can do is laugh at himself. It’s ridiculous that he would trust some guy from the internet to be genuine and truthful, especially anyone who wanted to meet in a bar. He can’t even stomach the thought of drinking the rest of his drink so when he puts it down and pays off his tab, he gets his things ready so he can go. 

“Doyoung?” said man hears from behind him as he’s leaving towards the exit.

He turns to see if it could possibly be Seungyoon and is instead, met with Johnny waving at him. Doyoung smiles small and he walks to meet the other man. “Hey, Johnny. How are you?”

“I’ve had a long day. I just thought I would come and unwind a little,” Johnny throws his hands in the hair to shrug dramatically, “did you just get here?” 

Doyoung smiles with the taller man. “No I’ve been waiting for someone, an online date actually, but i guess he stood me up.” 

Johnny gives him a wide eyed look of shock. “Woah, that sucks, I’m sorry,” he says somberly. “I mean, if you wanna hang out, I’m here,” 

Pulling the chair up to the table, Doyoung sits with Johnny. “Alright, I will. Thanks!.”

The air in the bar is still heavy and stuffy, but without the implication of a date, Doyoung feels like he can breathe for the first time that night. “I did not think he was gonna be that much of a dick,” he admits aloud. “It’s expected from an online date, but fuck, I thought he might have a bit more class than that. He could’ve just told me that he didn’t want to come out.” Doyoung takes off his cardigan and slings it over his lap.

Johnny laughs at the sudden remark. “I’ve definitely had a few too many of those. Sometimes people are just different in person which sucks.” Doyoung could certainly drink to that.

Speaking of…

“Do you want a drink?” Doyoung asks Johnny. The other man looks up at him and smiles widely before nodding. “Great, I’ll be right back!” He heads up to the bar and asks for two beers, just for them to sip on, and he comes back to the table to meet Johnny. “Alright, here ya go,” Doyoung says as he takes his seat.

Johnny takes the beer graciously, sitting up higher so he can welcome Doyoung back to the table. “Thank you,” he says and he takes a big sip.

If anyone asked Doyoung how long they were at that bar the night before, he wouldn’t be able to tell you. It felt like hours and it felt like minutes all the same, being with Johnny and hanging out with him so freely and without worry. They were like friends who'd been together their entire lives, fitting like gloves with each other. He doesn't even remember when he got home or how. He finds that as he lays in bed, awake and looking to the ceiling, all he can think of is Johnny.

He thinks of his laugh, the way his shoulders shook and rose with the movement, and the way his eyes lit up when a song he recognized played. He didn't even care about what he himself looked like when all he could think of and focus on was the red blooming down Johnny's neck and over his cheeks with every joke he said and every smile he cracked in Doyoung's direction.

_ Oh. _

+1.

Doyoung ignores the little oh moment. He doesn't think of Johnny, doesn't talk to him, or go on any other dates. Instead he sits in his apartment, going through the regular motions, and pretends that there was never a single thought for Johnny.

One day a couple weeks since his last date and the last time Johnny and him hung out, his phone rings from the spot next to him. He goes for his phone and when he notices the called ID that flashes across the screen, he crooks a curious brow. Johnny has never called him and he hurriedly picks up, worried about the possibility that Johnny might be in danger, despite everything he's been trying to push off.

"Hello?" he answers curiously.

From the other end, Johnny sighs. "Hey, Doyoung, sorry to bother you, I'm actually on a date right now, but, like it's not going well," Johnny starts, "and I know it's not your job, but could you come get me out of it?"

For a second, Doyoung is surprised by the request. He's not entirely sure what to do, but he sits up, ready to help Johnny out however he may. "Where are you? I can be there as quick as possible."

"I'm at the park downtown, by the entrance in the field. You can say anything I just gotta get out." The sound of Johnny's anxiety comes over Doyoung that pushes him into moving quicker and more urgently. "Thank you, Doie," he says softly and then he hangs up the phone, leaving Doyoung to head out as fast as he can.

Doyoung throws on something to appear dressed and then he heads out the door quickly, ready to make the trek over to the park. He wonders about Johnny and what he's up to, why this date is so bad, who the person he's with is and how they met. The trek feels like it's lasted hours with the way his thoughts move in and out and all around, wondering and thinking about every scenario under the sun.

When he gets to the park, he immediately sees Johnny in all of his tall glory and blue jeans and green sweater. He looks uncomfortable standing in the field with the man who keeps looking at anything but Johnny.

Heading out to the field where Johnny is, Doyoung makes a big show of running up to him in faux relief. “Johnny!” he yells from a few steps away, “Hey! I’m so sorry to bother you but your dog got sick all over the carpet, you gotta come home.” 

The look of pure amusement crosses Johnny’s face for a split second before he schools his emotions into a look of surprise. “Oh! Thanks, dude, I’ll be right with you.” Johnny turns to the other guy and Doyoung vaguely hears him give his last goodbye before the taller man begins walking with him hastily out the park. 

It isn’t until a few blocks down that they slow down a little, their steps falling into place. It’s a cold night and Doyoung takes in the scenery. 

“Why do we keep going on these dates?” Johnny asks softly, pulling Doyoung out of his thoughts. The wind whips against them, flipping through their hair and pushing them closer to preserve body heat. “I mean, they never work out. Or they don’t seem to.”

Doyoung looks at Johnny and he contemplates. Why does he keep doing this? Every date ends badly somehow, nothing ever sticks, and he’s nearly certain that he’s the biggest caller into Date Escape there is. He looks at Johnny and they walk together, hands pressed into pockets. “I guess I just want to find something.”

The silence consumes and settles over them as they continue walking. Doyoung’s mind runs a mile a minute looking for something to say when Johnny speaks up.

“Yeah, I guess I know that feeling.” Doyoung looks at Johnny with soft eyes, silently telling him he can go on, if he wants, and Doyoung is there to listen. Johnny sighs, “I wanted to just be in love, you know? Like for a very long time, I just wanted to find anyone to fall in love with. And I did. I was in a really long relationship with this guy and he was perfect but it trickled out, like, that love we had for each other was gone,” Johnny stops and Doyoung stops beside him. “And then I started going on a bunch of blind dates and social media dates and I wish I had had something like this to help me get out.”

“Were you able to find love? I mean, since then?” Doyoung asks quietly. He wants so badly to have something to cling onto, something that tells him that there’s something to come from all this.

When Johnny speaks, Doyoung can almost hear the smile in his voice. “I think it’s coming around.”

And Doyoung, looking at Johnny's radiant face in the moonlight, thinks he understands.  
  
  
  
  



End file.
